Fall Festivals and Events You Can't Miss in Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg is a small, scenic town near the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Gatlinburg is one of the most beautiful resort destinations in the country and attracts people from all over the world. The Appalachian community has dozens of restaurants, shops, and attractions that are all within the Great Smoky Mountain foothills. The resort has a wide array of accommodations.

A Scenic Town in the Great Smoky Mountains

One of the things that visitors love about Gatlinburg is that it's easy to walk around. The Downtown Parkway runs straight across town, with restaurants, shops, and attractions. For visitors who prefer a scenic walk, the River Walk winds around Little Pigeon River and has benches and gazebos along the river. The East Parkway also has quite a few shops and restaurants.

Fall Foliage in Gatlinburg

Although Gatlinburg is a beautiful destination for a vacation in the Smoky Mountains during any season, in the autumn the area is breathtaking. The Tennessee fall foliage season is a perfect time to see the autumn colors and enjoy the festivals and special events in Gatlinburg. Here are some of the fall events in Gatlinburg that you won't want to miss.

Autumn Color in the Smokies

The spectacular foliage in the Great Smoky Mountains usually begins in the higher elevations around the middle of September. As the days grow shorter during the fall, the colors change to crimson, gold, and orange on the trees in the lower elevations, and the brilliant colors last for about seven weeks. Planning drives across scenic roads and hiking the nature trails are the best ways to view the Smoky Mountain foliage.

Oktoberfest at Ober Gatlinburg

Oktoberfest is the most popular festival in Bavaria, Germany, and all the fun begins in Gatlinburg during the last week of September and continues through November 2nd. The original Oktoberfest was to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig in 1810, and is held every year in Bavaria. The celebration in Gatlinburg features authentic Bavarian-style costumes, folk dancing and music, Oktoberfest beers, and traditional foods of Germany.

Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival

In mid-September, the Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival begins and runs through Halloween. Gatlinburg decorates for autumn, there's live entertainment, and exhibits by local craftspeople.

Gatlinburg's Fine Arts Festival

The Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg is the location of the annual fine art festival which showcases the work of artists in 16 categories. Ceramics, wood crafted items, glasswork, and paintings are among the categories. The festival that Gatlinburg hosts on the grounds of the school is on October 1st through the 3rd.

Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair

The Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair which has been a tradition in Gatlinburg for more than 39 years, is in October at the Gatlinburg Convention Center. The fair is one of the most colorful events that Gatlinburg hosts. Local artisans sell their artwork and handcrafted items, talk to visitors about their work, and offer demonstrations. Many of the artisans are also local shop owners, and they decorate their storefronts with colorful autumn displays.

Annual Taste of Autumn

The Gatlinburg Convention Center hosts the Annual Taste of Autumn, featuring dancing and sampling some of the most delicious foods and drinks that Gatlinburg has to offer. The event is a great opportunity to socialize and to support a local charity.

Great Smoky Thanksgiving Arts & Crafts Show

The local artisans of Gatlinburg present the Thanksgiving Arts & Crafts Show each year. Some of the crafts available are beautiful items including quilts, pottery, brooms with carved handles, jewelry, handwoven fabric items, stuffed animals, painted landscapes of the mountains, and handmade dulcimers.

Winery Tours in Gatlinburg

Several wineries are in the Gatlinburg area. In addition to the festivals and special events, take the time to tour one or all of the local wineries. It's a great opportunity to learn about the winemaking process, tour the winery, and sample some of the best wines in Tennessee.

Halloween Events in Gatlinburg

Get into the spirit of Halloween and take the family to a spooky haunted mansion. The haunted house is open all year but is especially fun to visit just before Halloween. The Trick or Treat Kick Off Carnival at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies Plaza begins at noon on Halloween in downtown Gatlinburg, with plenty of candy for all.

Nearby Pigeon Forge hosts Halloween At the Island, a safe, family celebration which includes candy, costume contests, and entertainment. The Pigeon forge Safe Halloween celebration is another fun event for the entire family.

Appalachian Arts & Crafts

Arts, crafts, and culture are part of the heritage of the people who live in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The Great Smoky Mountains Arts and Crafts Community has its roots in Gatlinburg. The community is in the northeastern part of Gatlinburg and features a wide array of craft shops. Local artisans create quilts, candles, pottery, and a variety of other forms of art.

When you visit Gatlinburg for the fall foliage season, you'll be able to experience all the events that the friendly town of Gatlinburg has to offer.

Great Locations for Family Fun in Gatlinburg

An outing with your family can be a lot of fun no matter what you're doing together. However, having fun activities to do and amazing places to visit makes an outing with the family much more fun, exciting and interesting. If you're planning a visit to Gatlinburg, Tennessee with your family, there are many different activities to do and places to visit that are incredibly fun for the whole family.

Cades Cove

If you and your family love wildlife and the outdoors or the history of the pioneers, look no further than Cades Cove. Residing just outside of Gatlinburg's borders, Cades Cove is a gorgeous stretch of land in the Great Smoky Mountains that extends for miles. In addition to long and beautiful hiking trails with plenty of wildlife to observe, there are also many old pioneer buildings such as barns, churches, houses and more. Cades Cove also offers horseback riding, and you can plan picnic lunches beside the trail.

Ripley's Believe It or Not

Perhaps your interests lie more on the side of learning about weird and amazing aspects and achievements of humanity and nature. If so, you can't get much weirder or more amazing than the Ripley's Believe It or Not Odditorium. Featuring many weird, gross, amazing and fascinating exhibits from around the globe such as shrunken heads, a vampire killing kit, amazing creatures, human oddities and much more, the Ripley's Believe It or Not Odditorium is sure to peak the interests of the whole family. In addition to being a unique and incredibly interesting learning experience, there are also several other attractions such as their 5D moving theater, a mirror maze, a haunted house, mini-golf and an aquarium.

Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort

If you're visiting Gatlinburg in winter, you can enjoy the snowboarding and skiing in the mountains at the Ober Gatlinburg ski resort. If snowboarding or skiing isn't your preferred winter sport, there's also an indoor ice skating rink that is fun for all ages. Even if you aren't planning a visit in winter, you can enjoy the other attractions found in Ober Gatlinburg such as an alpine slide, an aerial tramway, a giant waterslide, an arcade and several amusement park rides.

Forbidden Caverns

While there is much beauty in the lands of Gatlinburg, there are even more amazing sites to see under the land. In addition to being well known for its amazing mountains and scenic views, Tennessee is also famous for their caves. In fact, Tennessee has the most caves out of all of the states in the US with over 8,300 caves discovered so far. Forbidden Caverns is one of the most popular spots for cave exploration. Fully lit caves with special lighting effects, a sophisticated sound presentation to assist the tour, gorgeous cave formations, a glistening stream, very knowledgeable and professional tour guides to assist all visitors on their exploration and more are all available in Forbidden Caverns to provide a unique and fantastic cave exploration experience that is fun for the whole family.

Fort Fun's Motion Ride Movie Theater

Have all kinds of adventures without ever leaving your seat. The Motion Ride Movie Theater is one of Gatlinburg's top attractions since it's such a unique and immersive concept. The theater is designed to move both the seats and the screens in such a way that it simulates actually partaking in several amazing experiences such as huge roller coaster rides, slot car racing, exploring volcanoes and glaciers, space exploration and more. When you're done with the show, you can take the family out to enjoy the other attractions at Fort Fun such as laser tag, indoor and outdoor mini-golf, bumper cars, an arcade and more.

Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen

Want to have as much fun as a kid in a candy store? Then there's no better option than to take the family to the Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen. Going strong for over sixty years, Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen not only has many different kinds of candies and treats ranging from local and homemade to big name brands, but they also have fresh and delicious homemade taffy with 28 different flavors. In addition, you can watch the process of taffy making right there in the shop every day. If you're lucky, you may also catch them in the process of making candy apples. It's a fun, interesting and delicious way to spend some time.

The Ghost Walk of Gatlinburg

Whether you're visiting Gatlinburg around Halloween or just have a love of creepy tales and haunting ghost stories, the Ghost Walk of Gatlinburg can be a great destination for the whole family. The Ghost Walk is a one mile walk at night that extends over the course of one hour. They visit several historic houses and other sites where frightening events have happened in the past. Don't confuse the Ghost Walk with a haunted house or haunted hay ride experience. This tour is not about jump scares and chasing people with fake knives and chainsaws. It's about telling scary stories, sharing local legends, history and superstitions. The Ghost Walk is an incredibly interesting and creepy experience that is perfect for Halloween. While it can be great fun for the whole family, ensure that everyone participating enjoys scary stories and creepy atmospheres to ensure that everyone has fun.

Smoky Mountain Rafting

It's difficult to match the action, adventure and views of white water rafting, and there's a great and exciting white water rafting service right in Gatlinburg with Smoky Mountain Rafting. Experienced white water rafters guide these tours through two different sections of the river, an upper level and lower level. The lower level is a gentler course with a minimum age limit of three, while the upper level is more advanced with a minimum age limit of eight. Once you're done with your white water rafting tour, you can also enjoy other activities at Smoky Mountain Rafting such as kayaking and hiking.

Conclusion

This list is only a taste of what Gatlinburg, Tennessee has to offer, but these are some of their most interesting, fun and exciting spots to enjoy with the whole family. There's no telling what other fascinating and entertaining spots you and your family will discover on your visit to Gatlinburg, and there's definitely no shortage of great places to see and explore. You can find a few other great attractions here.

Exciting Gatlinburg Events for Spring 2014

With winter transitioning into spring and summer, most people are changing out their wardrobes, uncovering their dormant flowers, and planning vacations. Several states and cities offer unique vacation opportunities, but Gatlinburg, Tennessee tops the list. From music to mountain biking, festivals and food to hiking and heritage, Gatlinburg covers a plethora of tourists' interests. Set deep in the Great Smoky Mountains where Scottish, Irish, German, and Cherokee roots combine, the city is also host to a rich array of world cultures. Below are listed some of the most popular spring events for Gatlinburg and the surrounding areas, as well as enjoyable year-round activities.

Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tales

Tunes and Tales will enter its ninth season in 2014. Beginning on weekends in April and May, and continuing through the summer months until August 9 (including weeknight performances during summer months), this event features everything from single acts to quartets. Vocalists and instrumentalists mix as they spread out through Gatlinburg, allowing visitors to walk through the community to view each act (5-10 PM on weekends and 6-11 PM during the full season). Shows especially for children are included. Musical styles include gospel, folk, country and bluegrass.

Earth Day 5K

On April 25, 2014, Gatlinburg will host its annual Earth Day 5K at 10:00 PM in downtown Gatlinburg. Students and youth get a reduced entry fee of $15, while advanced pay (before April 1) is $20 and payments from April 1-25 are $25-$30. You can also purchase an Earth Day 5K T-shirt. Official registration takes place at the Nantahala Outdoor Center at 8:00 PM.

Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage

This event dates back to 1951 and takes place both outdoors and in a classroom setting, as several classes are offered from April 15-19, 2014. Several guest lecturers, including Appalachian botany and wildlife experts, are always in attendance. Guided walks and hiking tours take place in abundance, and no need to worry if you're a senior, have small children, have difficulty walking, or have other needs. Each guided tour is tailored to specific groups and skill levels. Classes, tours, and demonstrations include: fauna identification, bird-watching, and flora identification, as well as arts and crafts.

Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament

If you have a fisherman, or woman, in the family, he or she will love this spring contest. The fifteenth annual trout tournament is open to adults and kids and has several categories for judging. Read up on Gatlinburg and Tennessee fishing regulations before entering.

Wine, Dine, and Art Crawl/Smoky Mountain Wine Fest

The Wine, Dine, and Art Crawl, which includes a walking tour of Gatlinburg's art galleries, food sampling, and wine-tasting, occurs on April 11. The Wine Fest is on April 12, 2014, from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Ripley's Aquarium Plaza. Lectures include Wine Making, Cigar Appreciation, Pairing Wine with Food, and many more. Of course, the Wine Fest also includes more wine-tasting. Seating is limited, so call ahead, and valid identification is required. Patrons must be 21 or older. If you wish, you may purchase a combo ticket for both events.

World Storytelling Day

On March 22, 2014, the Fanny Adams Theatre will host World Storytelling Day as a fundraiser. The event runs from 2-4 PM, and this year's topic is Dragons and Monsters. Children must have adults with them, and both seniors and children get a reduced ticket rate ($5 for seniors, $3 for children, students, or groups). All others pay $7 at the door. Call ahead or email for more information, including info on signing up to tell a story.

Easter Sunrise Service at Ober

On April 20, 2014, the Gatlinburg Ministerial Association will host its seventeenth Annual Easter Sunrise Service beginning at 6:30 AM at Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort. Tram rides to the top of the mountain will begin at 5:45 AM and continue at fifteen-minute intervals until 6:30, at no charge to worshippers. The ski resort's restaurant will serve a breakfast buffet from 7:30 AM-10:30 AM. An offering will be taken for the community's needy.

20th Annual Mountain Quiltfest

From March 19 to March 22, 2014, quilters from all over the country will enter their masterpieces for prizes upward of $20,000. The show includes ten categories for judging, and for a nominal fee, quilters can have their work personally and professionally critiqued. Vendors will also be at the event, offering threads, fabrics, and other quilting materials. More than sixty quilting classes are also offered, to quilters of all skill levels. Sponsored by the City of Pigeon Forge and Sevier Valley Quilters Guilds.

Dolly's Parade

This gorgeous parade, starring none other than grand marshal Dolly Parton, takes place on May 2, 2014. The parade features floats, marching bands, and all sorts of other entertainment. Its route stretches from traffic light #6 in Pigeon Forge to traffic light #3 on the Great Smoky Mountain Parkway.

Dixie Stampede

Open most of the year, but popular in the spring and summer months, Dixie Stampede is known for its dinner theater events. Diners choose from two options per night for their meal (call ahead and ask for vegetarian options if needed). The show features a comedic version of the Civil War, with actors on the North and South sides competing in silly contests with the audience's encouragement. The grand finale includes horseback riding and music.

Pigeon Forge Car Shows

These events take place throughout the year, but again, are popular during the spring and summer. Tourists visit from all over the United States to view cars, both new and classic. The shows also include vendors and swap meets.